Confidant
by Liliac Copper
Summary: A/U Loki fic.
1. Chapter 1

"You will do well to remember your place, Lady Faryn." Loki drawled, his legs akimbo as he leaned back tiredly in the High Empress' throne, the great cold steel of it was not built for comfort as an empress was not made to lounge.

Outraged, I gestured wildly at him in my mother's chair, "How can I forget it, when you're sitting in it?" I sneered, chin lifted as I rose to my maximum height, shoulders thrown back.

My father's Grand Advisor spun his wine tankard around his finger, playing with it as if it were the most natural thing in the world to be sitting on the throne. If my Uncle or cousins were to hear of it? He'd be dead on the morrow's setting of the moon. "Faryn, you are an orphaned child and I am your Guardian. As your short-sighted and horribly indulgent father failed to secure your hand, you will be as a mere ward of the court, if and until I decide you are of the wisdom and fortitude to be crowned heir."

"If it were not for your war-mongering I would have been wed already! Van-"

The swine had the gall to cut me off, as if I was nothing, tossing his words heedlessly at me as if we were comparing which wine went best with pheasant. "Vanir is dead, Princess. The sooner you come to terms with it—"

"Yes! Because you advised that he and my brother go to war. That was clever, send the future Empress' Consort to die, and kill off the only other heir to the throne. Wonderfully advised, Your Grace." I bowed, mocking him, I could do nothing but hate him and it frightened me. I stayed away from the steps to the dais and the throne, careful to throw my anger at him. _One did not rule with hatred in their heart_, my father always said, speaking of my mother's famed temperance and refusal to let her anger ever reach how she ruled. You rule from heart, and there you must always be in control.

"Our people were attacked, if you fail to recall, Princess. Now—"

"My people, not yours, were attacked by a band of radicals. And in retaliation, you killed thousands of their people causing outright war." I slowed my speech down and calmed my anger to something far more controlled, "You think yourself a king, yet you have not the slightest idea of what it means to rule. I pray for all of us that you learn."

I picked up my skirts, angry for the ten thousandth time that day alone that I had to wear them, and nearly ran to my new accommodations more "befitting the station allotted to orphans". I was reduced to one hand maiden, not that I needed more than one. I could make do on my own and I often preferred to, but ever since Father held my brother's lifeless body and died himself, everything went wrong.

I untied my outer gown and shifted awkwardly onto the new bed I had been allowed to have, and sank into the pillows, sighing in relief when I found a rolled sheet of parchment hidden there. My one friend, and sole confidant.

I did not know who it was, the writer of letters that came when I was gone, but whoever it was, they were my only friend.


	2. Chapter 2

Whoever my confidant was, I was not sure where their loyalties lie. I had adopted a singular myself versus Loki mindset, knowing full well that often, in court, neutrality was preferred. It kept one safe should the balance of power shift.

The letters often suggested that this person may have been an ally, perhaps one of Papa's friends. Regent Consort or no, father was a powerful man respected by many. That was why Mama' chose him as her consort.

I wondered, sitting there on my floor, what they would say. I never really knew Mama'. She was a distant figure and suggested that to rule best, she could not be soft like Papa, or seen as anything less than Empress. Critics would say that she emasculated my father, made him less of a man by choosing him as Consort. He would only ever rule as a liaison to myself, it was my signature that bore the value, even as a child. He was never part of the Royal Line.

He would laugh when I told him what the children said in our lessons. Would sit down and ask if I should like his knee to sit upon. Usually, I would. He'd scratch his goatee and smile as he told me how he wooed Mama'. He ignored her at court, for the first few years. While she was away, being tutored in our neighboring kingdom of Venna in the arts of diplomacy, he wrote to her. They met each other's hearts and later, she took him as Consort, after her coronation.

"Your Mama' is a powerful woman, Faryn," he would say, touching the tip of my nose, before he turned to my brother Dom. "It is not a castration for a man to support a woman, especially one like our Empress. Don't you forget that."

That was before the sickness took her all too soon.

Sometime later, father took to Regent Consort, guiding our people in my stead as I was sent to study in Venna. In my tutelage there, I met Vanir and Father met Loki; made him Grand Advisor. Vanir later agreed to become my Consort, following my coronation. He planned the Coronation grandly, and wanted as small a ceremony for us as possible to ensure that my people saw me as Empress and he as my Consort.

But that was not meant to be.

Portsmere, one of our Southern-most duchies and ports, was attacked. Few were killed, others held hostage, or had belongings stolen. I called for the evacuation immediately, and once the radicals were captured, there was to be a hearing. A chance for us to show our diplomacy and political finesse, but we needed to ensure that no one would risk attacking us again. On the same token, their nation was found to be honest in their denial of knowledge of the attack, so I could not aptly demand revenge when they freely offered wergild for the wrongs done to my people.

Everything was set. In the fashion of my Empresses before me, I would personally carry out the executions of the remaining group and Hoveria would pay for each damage and supply the necessities for rebuilding our duchy.

Having left my council chambers with the Ambassadors, agreeing that this would be an ideal solution for a terrible wrong, Vanir kissed my forehead as we walked my private garden.

His hands were warm as he held me still, his palms cupping my jaw gently "You will be a grand Empress, Faryn. One I cannot wait to be Consort to."

I nudged his hand, "You are sure you don't mind?"

"Being your Consort? Its not the first thought I had growing up. I never thought I'd be anything other than a Vennese duke, but you see, I met this lovely Empress-to-be, and we're to be wed soon. She says that she hopes I'll provide her with an heir or six, and dear I'm not convinced six will be enough." He smiled, wrapping his arms around me.

His willingness to take a role most men cringed at, and to be truly pleased with it made me feel like things were going to start coming together again, after the tragedy in Portsmere, and my Mama's death... And the annoying Grand Advisor that Vanir and I joked about sending away to be a diplomat far far away. Hopefully some place possibly unpleasant...

* * *

Loki had the Hoverian ships attacked as soon as they reached our coast.

My brother Dom was killed in battle on the sea, and Vanir's hand with my sigil ring, his Consort ring, was delivered on a gilded platter to my breaking fast meal. The accompanying letter was written by himself, telling me that he was sorry he was to be killed shortly and that he loved me.


End file.
